Pangasinan Rep. Jose C. de Venecia Jr. said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who allegedly masterminded the merger of administration parties Lakas-CMD and Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino, could be left without a political party should the Commission on Elections junk the unified party’s application for accreditation.

De Venecia also said he has found an ally in former President Fidel V. Ramos in his battle to get back the Lakas-CMD which he used to lead before he was ousted by Mrs. Arroyo’s allies. Lakas-CMD sealed a merger with Kampi last May 28.

De Venecia said Ramos’ refusal to become chairman emeritus of the merged party merely bolstered his claim that the union of the country’s two largest political parties was illegal and therefore must be declared null and void by the Comelec.

De Venecia petitioned the Comelec to nullify the merger last month, citing the absence of a national assembly for the decision to unite Lakas with Kampi.

“It’s very clear that irregularities attended the so-called merger, which President Ramos is now denouncing. President Ramos may further amplify our call before the Comelec (to nullify the merger),” De Venecia told House reporters on Tuesday.

Both Ramos and De Venecia were founders of Lakas-CMD.

A few days after the merger meeting, Ramos denounced what he called the “undue haste” with which the process was done and said it did not go through proper consultation with all party stakeholders.

De Venecia is scheduled to appear before the Comelec on Sept. 17 in support of his petition.

The former House Speaker said he expects the poll body to also summon other officials of Lakas-Kampi-CMD. De Venecia said he and Ramos agreed that the merger was illegal, which makes the Lakas-Kampi-CMD “non-existent.”

“It’s like two banks merging but Ramadanthere was never a stockholders’ conference. There might have been a board of directors meeting but there was no conference to ratify the merger,” De Venecia said.

His petition seeks to block an earlier request that the Lakas-Kampi-CMD be declared a dominant national party, which is also being contested by the Liberal Party and Nacionalista Party.

“The original posts in the Lakas-CMD political party still exist as pointed out by President Ramos. My position as president of Lakas-CMD is covered by that statement of President Ramos,” De Venecia said.

De Venecia was president of Lakas-CMD until he was forced to step down in March 2008. Prior to that, he was ousted as Speaker after he had a falling out with President Arroyo when he spoke against her in connection with the aborted national broadband deal.

The Lakas-Kampi-CMD has reportedly called for an emergency meeting of its top officials, reportedly to discuss the implications of Ramos’ decision to decline the party nomination as chairman emeritus.

De Venecia hinted that Arroyo will have her comeuppance through expulsion from Lakas-CMD.
 
Currently the merged party’s chairperson, Arroyo was also Lakas-CMD chairperson.

Speaker Prospero Nograles and Arroyo, alongside Kampi chairman and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno and Ermita, executed the merger blueprint aimed at consolidating pro-administration groups to further strengthen their political machinery for the 2010 elections.